Date: Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:23:01 EST
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 4, chapters 1 - 2
Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 1 -- New horizons.
**Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read
this.
It was going to be a very interesting year, but the changes to our family
were just beginning. The first important change occurred after Steve Shay
and Sally Swarthout were able to pull a few strings for me and get Frankie
placed with us again. However, neither was initially enthusiastic about
the idea and discussed the situation with me thoroughly before agreeing to
help. Each of them had their doubts as to whether this was a wise move on
my part, considering the problems I'd had with Frankie the first time he
moved in with us, but I assured them Frankie was truly a changed person
since then. That's why I wanted to give him another chance.
They immediately wanted to know why I felt that way, so I had to explain
about Frankie's visit. I emphasized it wasn't just what he said that made
me believe in his dramatic transformation, but also the way he'd acted and
all he'd been through while in detention. I told them how he'd had trouble
looking Trey and I in the face as he apologized, showing how guilty he felt
about his actions, and then paraphrased Frankie's admission about how he
had endured a similar fate at the hands of others while he was
incarcerated. I reiterated that I was truly convinced he had learned his
lesson and done a complete one hundred-eighty degree turnabout, and
therefore deserved a second chance. Since they saw I was convinced of his
rehabilitation, they agreed to do everything they could to make it happen
for me.
I knew it wasn't going to be an easy task to pull this off, but Steve and
Sally gave it their best effort. After calling in a few favors from some
of their colleagues, they got Frankie reassigned and he officially returned
to the family on Labor Day weekend. I had the boys make a banner welcoming
him back, which we strung across the front porch, and I believe it was the
first thing Frankie spotted when Steve dropped him off. I suspect he was a
little embarrassed by the recognition, but also pleased that we went to the
trouble, and all the boys raced out to greet him with open arms. In fact,
Trey was the first one to go up to him and welcome him back and I think
that put Frankie at ease and allowed him to believe his past was truly
behing him now.
However, Frankie's return to the fold was not the only change that
occurred. It seemed there was also a budding relationship in progress,
this time between Nick and Kevin. Although Nick had sort of been pursuing
Kevin, Kevin seemed only mildly interested in Nick's attention. That
changed, however, shortly after the remainder of Nick's belongings arrived
here. I'm sure you're wondering what that might have to do with anything,
so let me explain.
Although Nick's parents had sent most of his clothing and personal effects
to him after they returned home from their visit here, it took them a while
longer to get the rest of the items he wanted sent here. These things
finally arrived the very same weekend Frankie was moving in. Happily, Nick
grabbed some of these items and headed up to his room. As he entered,
Kevin quickly noticed one of the things he was carrying.
"Is that a guitar case," Kevin gasped, looking at the shape of the
container Nick was setting down on the floor of their room.
"Yeah, I had my folks send it here," Nick replied. "I really am looking
forward to having it with me again. There's been a bunch of times I wished
I'd had it."
"You mean you play?" Kevin asked, somewhat rhetorically.
"No, I just keep my assault rifle in there," Nick teased, while making a
face at Kevin. "Of course I play, or I wouldn't have one, would I?"
"Wow, I asked Dad to buy me a guitar for my last birthday and I've learned
to play a few chords on it, but I'm still not very good," Kevin explained.
"Do you think you could teach me more?"
"Sure," Nick beamed. "That was one good thing my parents did for me when I
was younger. They paid for me to take lessons, starting when I was ten,
and I continued taking them until just before I left home. I'm not great,
but I'm not bad at it either, although I haven't been able to play much
since I ran away. That's why I was hoping to be able to practice while I
was here."
"Awesome," Kevin agreed. "If you can teach me to play better, maybe we can
find a drummer and a bass and form our own group!"
"That's a wicked idea," Nick agreed. "I was thinking about doing that back
home, before my Dad announced he was going to send me away to military
school. I'd love to be in a band. Come on, let's get your guitar and
we'll start practicing."
The two boys spent most of the Labor Day weekend playing their guitars,
with Nick teaching Kevin some new licks in the process. Both boys were
very excited by this opportunity and now had something else to draw them
even closer together. This new relationship also seemed to be helping
Kevin to forget about his disappointment concerning Dustin.
The school year had also begun very well for all of us. For the most part,
the boys were happy with their classes and teachers, and those playing on
the soccer teams were off to a good start. On the other end of the
spectrum, I was pleased with how my school had been operating and the first
few weeks had gone off without a hitch. The faculty and staff were doing a
tremendous job and there were only a few isolated problems with any of the
students. All and all, things were progressing quite smoothly, but it
didn't stop there.
The boys dating the cheerleaders were beginning to get very involved with
those girls, except for Danny and Brandon. However, they were still
maintaining enough of a smokescreen to deflect the types of criticism and
suspicions that had been brought to their attention earlier. However, that
wasn't always the case. At first, the girls that Danny and Brandon asked
out were more than a little leery of their intentions, so they set out to
see how serious both boys were. Almost immediately, they forced the boys
into participating in some pretty steamy make-out sessions and Danny and
Brandon each managed to pass the kissing test without a problem. In fact,
they even participated in a little fondling and light petting, so the girls
were beginning to believe they might have been wrong about them. Neither
boy had been pushed toward performing any sexual activities yet, so they
were grateful about that and content with how things were working out.
They admitted they even feel accepted by the others, although they aren't
thrilled about having to deceive the girls this way.
Not only are all of the boys doing well, but I also can't begin to express
how proud I am of Frankie. Right from the very first day he moved back in
with us, Frankie has kept his promise about staying out of trouble and
doing well in his classes. In just the first week he was with us, I heard
from two of his teachers -- but everything they had to say was good. Even
though they knew of his previous reputation, both as a problem student and
one who was unwilling to put forth any effort, they both told me they were
totally aghast over his remarkable start. He was completing his
assignments and doing them well, but not only that -- he was also
participating in class and setting a positive example for others, something
he had not been noted for previously. That news immediately brightened my
day, so I went home and told Frankie how proud I was of him. I think
Frankie was pleased that I had been told of this so soon and seemed to glow
from my praise.
"I told you I was going to do better," he responded, after I complimented
him, "and I'm not going to let you down this time."
"I know you won't," I agreed, "but I wanted you to realize your teachers
and I are all well aware of your extra-effort and increased level of
maturity. I am extremely proud of you and pleased that you are taking full
advantage of this new opportunity," I added, before I gave him a hug. I
was wondering how he was going to react to that, but I guess I shouldn't
have been, since he eagerly hugged me back.
"Thanks, that felt nice," he told me, after I released him. "I spent most
of my life with people pushing me away or with me doing it to them first,
before they could do it to me. But that really made me feel good. I
actually feel like I belong here now."
"You do, Frankie," I agreed. "From the moment you came back to live with
us, you've been considered a valued member of the Currie clan. I'll even
adopt you, like I did with the others, if that's what you want. It's your
decision and I'm not going to pressure you one way or the other, but I want
you to know that option is there, if you want to take advantage of it."
"You're still willing to do that?" Frankie challenged, not willing to
believe his ears. "You'd do that after all I put you through and all the
rotten things I did?"
"Hey, that was the old Frankie," I joked. "I'm asking the new Frankie to
join us."
"I'd like that, if it means I get to call you Dad from now on," he replied,
almost sounding as if his throat was beginning to tighten as he said it.
"Hey, you can call me Dad right now, if you want," I assured him. "You
don't have to wait until you're adopted."
"I'd like that... Dad," he said, trying it out before wrapping his arms
around me in a tremendous embrace. "I never thought I'd ever be able to
call anyone that," he confessed, "at least not someone I thought deserved
that name, but it sure feels good. Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome, son," I replied, while squeezing him tightly in my arms.
This was truly a much different young man than on our first go around.
Besides Frankie's remarkable transformation, there were others, whom I also
monitored, to make sure they were still doing well. Among that group was
Carlos. He managed to keep in touch and remained close with my family. In
fact, he made certain to let us know he was doing fine and looking forward
to the next time he could be with us again. Due to the fact that it took a
few hours to make the round-trip drive to pick him up and then return trip
home, we decided it would be easier on all of us if we just did it during
the holidays and summer vacation. Therefore, we invited Carlos and his
mother to come for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, as well as
joining us on our next vacation.
We also heard from the family in Arizona, the one Nick had brought to our
attention and we had helped out, while we were there. The parents told us
they had been doing well at their jobs, passed their probationary periods
and received excellent job reviews. There was even a possibility that they
may both be promoted soon, since the mother had been interviewed for the
supervisory position in the elementary cafeteria, while her husband was
taking a few crash courses to improve certain skills, so he could move up
from the custodial job and become the school's electrician. The kids were
also doing very well in their classes, loved their apartment and seemed
very happy with the way things were working out. All the family had needed
was a little break, which we provided for them, so they could turn their
lives around. My boys all felt great about having played a part in their
success, especially Nick, so now he was actively looking for someone new to
help.
The first weekend after Labor Day we threw a birthday party for Frankie,
even though his birthday had been on July 30th. Seeing he joined us late,
I didn't want him to miss out on celebrating such an important event in his
life. Even though he had turned seventeen, I think this was the first real
party or recognition he'd received in quite some time, possibly ever, and
he seemed thrilled that we were willing to do this for him. I told him in
advance what I had planned and suggested he could invite some others, if he
wished. After thinking about this for a few minutes, he admitted that he
didn't really know anyone else yet, except for the guys he got in trouble
with before, but he quickly assured me he was steering clear of them now.
He finally concluded that having his 'family' there for him would be
enough, but added that maybe next year he would have more people to invite.
After telling me that, he flashed me a huge grin, which was his signal that
he planned on sticking around this time.
It was an enjoyable party, although nothing elaborate, which was what
Frankie wanted. He told me he felt it would be best to keep it simple, but
that didn't mean it wasn't nice. We had a cookout and invited much of our
extended family to join us, but the boys wanted to do more -- something
special. They wanted to make sure Frankie not only enjoyed his party, but
found it worth remembering in years to come. With this in mind, they set
out to select some special gifts for him, things they felt he would really
appreciate.
First, they bought him his own boom box, similar to the one he had tried to
heist the first time he had been with us. They didn't do it to remind him
about what he'd done, but to give him something they thought he'd value.
Of course the double meaning didn't go unnoticed.
"You guys didn't have to do this," Frankie told them. "I wasn't going to
try to steal any of yours this time," he joked, before letting out a
nervous laugh.
"That's not what we thought," Kevin told him, since it was his and Dustin's
boom box that had disappeared the last time. "We just figured you'd get a
lot of use out of it and really enjoy it."
"Don't worry, I will," Frankie replied, "as soon as I get something to play
on it." That problem was quickly solved, though, since the boys had also
bought him some CDs to go with it, besides giving him a couple of gift
certificates, so he could purchase more on his own. Frankie seemed very
pleased by their thoughtfulness.
Aunt Sally, Aunt Mary and Uncle Steve gave him some new clothes and a nice
diamond stud earring, to replace the older earring he always wore, since
they noticed it was kind of cheap and not in very good condition. I also
gave him some clothes, as well as a gold- chain, since he admired some of
the chains the other guys wore. Not only that, but I also made him a
promise. Since he was now 17, I told him I'd include him with Kevin in the
next driving class, which would probably begin in the spring, so he could
start working toward getting his license. He was quite excited by that
announcement, and a bit surprised by the prospect, but he eagerly accepted
my offer.
The following weekend we celebrated Andrew's tenth birthday and he
enthusiastically included several young boys he was close to from school.
They had a sleepover party, which had almost become the standard for the
younger boys' birthdays, but Andrew made sure that most of his plans would
include the whole family.
I thought the party would be good for him too and give him something else
to make him forget his ordeal in Houston. I had been watching him closely
since it had happened and had seen no signs of any lingering negative
effects. Andrew appears to be a very resilient young man and had managed
to shake off the effects of that unwelcome encounter, which I think was
mainly due to the fact that we'd arrived before any penetration had
occurred. If we had gotten there after the fact, things might be much
different for him now.
The party went well and Andrew got many nice presents too, including some
nice clothes and an assortment of computer games he had mentioned wanting.
Not only that, but I also bought him a bunch of art supplies, since he had
shown an interest in that subject at school. His art teacher had informed
me that she thought Andrew had a great deal of talent and it might develop
fully with the right encouragement. That's why I bought him a paint kit, a
vast assortment of colored pencils, sketchpads, an easel and some large
heavy-duty sheets for him to paint on. I was mildly surprised that out of
all of his gifts, he seemed to appreciate that present the most.
For the weeks following the two parties, we didn't have much planned on the
weekends, other than the boys' sporting events, the boys' dates with their
girlfriends or spur of the moment family outings to the movies or a
restaurant. It was a relaxing time, which would come to an abrupt end when
the next big event on our calendar took place. However, that wouldn't
happen until late October, when Cole turned 15. It would also be the next
to last birthday we would celebrate for the year, with Dion's being the
only one still remaining before we started the cycle over again, and his
birthday wasn't until late November.
My three new drivers also kept me busy during those weeks, since they were
constantly begging me to take them out for a little more practice, which I
made sure we did at least twice a week. We had even progressed from
driving in the school parking lots to driving on some of the less busy
streets. Dustin and Danny were doing extremely well, while Brandon still
had an occasional problem along the way. Sometimes he would try to take a
corner too sharply and drive over the curb in the process or he would
forget about being gentle with the gas or brake pedal and send the rest of
us jerking forward or backward, whenever that happened. Other times he
might have trouble judging the width or length of the Grand Am and park a
little too close to the vehicle next to us, which made it difficult for
those on that side to get out of the car, or sporadically even gently nudge
the vehicle he was pulling in behind, although it was never hard enough to
do any damage to either vehicle.
Although he was still having these problems, he was also determined to get
better and worked hard trying to perfect these skills, while Danny did his
best to encourage him. Taking the driver's education course in school also
seemed to help him improve, as it gave him another perspective and
reinforced the things I was trying to get them all to learn also.
The boys even surprised me and changed the oil and filters on each of the
vehicles. They did this totally on their own, without any prodding from
me, and explained they did it because they felt it best to know as much
about how to take care of the car on their own, so they didn't have to
depend on me. They even washed and waxed the Grand Am every other weekend,
while taking turns doing the same to either the van or Suburban on the off
week. I guess that provided enough of a hint to let me know which vehicle
they preferred out of the three.
The sports teams had also kept many of the boys busy, as well as those of
us who went to watch their games, while much of the rest of their time was
occupied doing homework or helping me make changes around the house. Since
we had returned from vacation, we had moved the three computers to the
family room and set them up off to one side, so we could turn the upstairs
office into a spare bedroom. We even built a closet for the bedroom, by
extending one portion of the outer wall and utilizing the large open space
in the hallway. We also added another bathroom upstairs, although it was
just a shower stall, toilet and sink, to help alleviate some of the
congestion in the morning. Now, there were three bathrooms upstairs, the
public one downstairs and the one in my new master bedroom. We also added
another hot-water heater and better circulating pumps, so the water
pressure wouldn't drop dramatically when toilets were flushed, etc., and
help eliminate the chance of someone getting scalded.
During this time, some of the boys were also developing new interests. A
handful of them were more than eager to improve their cooking skills, since
they didn't want to give me any reason not to leave them on their own
whenever I had to go away. They really liked the idea of being in charge
while I was traveling, so they took turns preparing the meals every night,
even when I was there, which removed that responsibility from my shoulders.
They had even set up a rotating schedule for the various duties, which
included the cooking, cleaning and driving (which for the time being they
could only do when I was with them, but that would change once they had
their licenses). I eagerly allowed them to do this, and even encouraged
their taking increased responsibility for things, as some of them would
soon be heading off to college or possibly just living on their own, so it
would be good practice for them.
It's not that everything was perfect, as squabbles still popped up from
time to time. Sometimes it was over who was going to get to drive or the
'need' for someone to switch his chores, whenever he had a date or other
activity that conflicted with his assignment. Most of the time, however,
the boys would work this out amongst themselves, so I didn't have to
intervene, because they understood none of them would be happy if I had to
get involved.
There was even one major conflict between two of the new roommates, which
culminated with Dustin and Pat coming to blows. It seemed they had both
become interested in the same young lady and each of them thought the other
was being unfair in resolving this situation. Even though there was nearly
a two-year difference in their ages, the girl's age fell in between theirs.
She was approximately a year older than Pat and a year younger than Dustin.
After a few weeks of trying to gain the upper hand, they each began
accusing the other of interfering with their ability to change chores when
there was a scheduling conflict for them. They both felt the other one was
utilizing his influence with the other boys and talking them out of being
accommodating, whenever it was requested. They even began to complain
about who got to eat lunch with her or who she would spend time with after
school. Dustin felt he should have all of the lunch periods to spend with
her, since he played sports and was tied up after school, which meant Pat
got to spend all of that time with her. Even though this was true, Pat
felt they should still alternate the lunch times, because it wasn't his
fault that Dustin had chosen to play a sport and he hadn't.
After their little donnybrook, I had to lay down my own set of ground
rules. First, I told Pat that if he wanted to alternate the lunch periods,
then he would also have to alternate the after school time too, which meant
he could only spend every other afternoon with her, even if Dustin had
practice or a game. He didn't like that idea at all and quickly agreed to
give Dustin the lunch periods, so he could keep the after school time to
himself. However, whenever Dustin was in between sport seasons, they would
once again start alternating both the lunch period and the after school
time, so that neither would be able to see her twice in the same day.
Second, I notified all of the boys that if there were any more problems
with switching chores, then I would make a rule that there would be
absolutely no switching allowed. This would include everyone, so from that
point on every boy would have to stick to the schedule -- unless I made the
change personally, which I would not be inclined to do.
Third, if there were any more punches thrown, neither one would be allowed
to date anyone for a month, and finally, I moved Dustin to the twin bed in
the new bedroom, which had been the old computer room, to give them both a
chance to cool off. I moved Dustin instead of Pat, because that room had
been Pat's before all the switching took place, so I thought it was only
right he should get to stay there.
Things did calm down after that, especially after Pat lost interest in the
girl and found someone closer to his own age. The funny thing was that
Dustin dumped the girl too, a couple of weeks later, as he fell for a girl
who was a few months older than the first girl. And to think they were
ready to bash each other's brains out over her just a short time before.
Eventually Pat and Dustin did make up, but they each stayed in the room
they were currently in, as neither of them was convinced future conflicts
could be avoided. I think Kevin got a kick out of watching this and found
it amusing they were fighting over a girl, but I think he was most pleased
that Dustin's life wasn't working out as Dustin had hoped, especially after
he broke Kevin's heart. It's not that Kevin hated Dustin now, because he
still had strong feelings for him, but it made him feel better to know that
things were not all that easy for his former lover either.
Besides the conflict it brought into our home, the boys' interest in the
young ladies also had a negative effect on their soccer team. Although
they still had a winning record, they didn't do as well as either their
coach or I had anticipated. I think the distraction of dating and the
conflict between Dustin and Pat took its toll on the team as well.
I believe this was most noticeable at their homecoming game, which they
nearly lost to the team with the worst record in their league. Not only
were their girlfriends at this game, but it appeared most of my studs were
thinking ahead to the homecoming festivities after the game and not
focusing on their playing. This was painfully obvious, as we observed
their lackluster play and noted the silly and uncharacteristic mistakes
they made during the contest. Fortunately, they did manage to pull their
heads out of the clouds long enough to score a one goal victory and end
their season at 12 --3.
Of course, in late October we had a party for Cole as well, but he felt he
was now getting too old to have a sleepover, so I didn't push it and
honored his wishes. He did invite some of his friends from school to
attend, as well as most of our extended family. Even though he had been
socially immature for his age when he first arrived, and even for a while
afterward, he did eventually make some friends outside of the family and
Cole and those boys had remained fairly tight. They'd all been to our
house at various times and Cole has also been to their homes, but they
mostly hung out at school or at school functions.
I was a little surprised that Cole invited them to come to the house for
the day without telling them it was his birthday, but I suspect I knew why.
A couple of his friends' families aren't too well off and I suspect Cole
didn't want them to feel obligated to buy something for him, just because
it happened to be his birthday. By inviting them to come over without out
announcing this additional fact relieved them of that burden. I think the
boys were a bit shocked when they discovered this was a birthday
celebration, but after Cole explained he planned the day just for fun and
didn't expect such a big fuss over it, it seemed to make everyone feel
better. I think his friends understood his intentions and admired the way
he handled it, since they all enjoyed themselves without being embarrassed
that they hadn't brought him a gift. Although he still has difficulty in
some of his classes, he is remarkably bright about some things.
Cole, his friends and his brothers kept active for most of the day, playing
games and generally having a good time. They all joined us to eat, and
then again later when we had the cake and ice cream and I had Cole open his
presents. After his friends saw how much he got from the rest of us, I
think they began to understand why Cole didn't feel he needed anything from
them.
Halloween also proved to be an interesting time, but not because of the
Trick-or-Treating. Instead, it was because of the big high school
Halloween dance. All the guys with girlfriends planned on attending, and
even Danny and Brandon had dates for this big event. The boys also went
out of their way to help Frankie find a date for the dance too. They spent
hours on end preening for the big event and getting their costumes ready,
as they each wanted to impress their dates. As I watched them going
through their preparations, I was reminded of a muster of peacocks trying
to impress the peahens, but these boys had to provide their own plumage.
Since most of the other boys wouldn't be around that evening, Kevin, Trey
and Dion volunteered to help me take the little ones out collecting candy
door-to-door. I think this was done primarily to give them something to do
and keep them from feeling completely left out, so I graciously accepted
their assistance. Unfortunately, the offer didn't come without some
drawbacks.
You see, Trey was not happy about how everything was working out and
complained it wasn't fair that Dion and he couldn't go to the dance as a
couple. He even hinted that it might be considered a form of
discrimination. When I explained to him that they could go to the dance
together if they wanted to, I also reminded him they might also set
themselves up for some possible abuse in the process, so he decided to let
the matter drop. In the long run, Trey decided he was more of a lover than
a fighter, and felt helping with the younger ones would keep him from
thinking about missing the dance. Besides, it would also allow Dion and
him to do something together. I agreed and was happy to have the company
and the help.
Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 2 -- A Time to Give Thanks.
It was now November, which was marked by two important events:
Thanksgiving, when we would be having several visitors joining us for our
special dinner, and Dion's thirteenth birthday. Seeing the two events were
so close together, it was decided that we would celebrate Dion's birthday
the Saturday after Thanksgiving and he could invite some of his friends
from school to sleep over too.
The house was abuzz during the week before the holiday, as we spent a great
deal of time cleaning and preparing for our guests. All of the boys were
going to sleep on the carpet in the living room during that time, giving
their beds up to our visitors. In addition to their oldest brothers and
sisters, there would be Nick's parents, Brandon's parents, Jay and his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Spence (the grandparents the boys had sort of picked
up during our vacation), Carlos and his mother (although I was sure Carlos
would sleep with the boys), and Nicky and Jordan. Aunt Sally, Aunt Mary
and Uncle Steve would be joining us for dinner, but they would not be
spending the night. It was going to be quite a massive get-together.
In order to avoid wearing ourselves out fixing the meal and becoming so
tired that we wouldn't enjoy the feast, we prepared some of the items the
day before. It was mostly the cold dishes, which included various salads
and some desserts, but it would take away much of the work the day of the
big event. During that time, we would be busy preparing two huge turkeys
and a full ham for the main course, in addition some other side dishes.
The women, which included my daughters and daughter-in-law and the other
females in attendance, all tried to volunteer to help prepare the meal for
us, but we shooed them away, letting them know (politely) that we could
fend for ourselves.
The boys were very pleased and quite proud when they served the meal.
Everyone was seated at one of two large tables, which were not segregated
by age. To determine the seating, we had everyone pull a number out of a
hat and then they took the seat with the corresponding number. That way,
we got to sit beside someone we might not have otherwise dined next to.
Everyone seemed happy with this procedure and I thought we would all enjoy
our time being near different individuals and might even form some stronger
bonds with them.
For this large gathering, we were utilizing both our normal dining room
table, with both leaves inserted into it, and a very large banquet table.
I had borrowed the banquet table from school and set up in the room
adjoining the dining room, so we would all be able to see and hear each
other during the meal. Each of the various items was then dished into four
identical containers and placed at either end of each table, as well as
utilizing four platters containing the two turkeys and two more filled with
ham. I recruited Steve Shay, Mike Lawrence, Patrick O'Hara, Howard Curtis
and John Spence to carve the meat and each was more than eager to help out
and assume that responsibility.
Before we began to eat, however, I suggested we take a few seconds to
recount all of the things we had to be thankful for. I started and
mentioned I was thankful for each of my children, grandchildren and my many
good friends, and then I turned it over to anyone else to do the same.
Mr. Spence quickly indicated he wanted to say something, so I sat down and
he stood up to speak.
"My wife and I have been very fortunate over the years, except when it came
to having a family. Being included here today and being accepted as a part
of this fantastic group has made us the happiest and most thankful we have
been in many years. My wife and I have spent a great deal of time
preparing to come here, and we also have a little surprise for you,
something to leave you so you'll always remember our love for you. Seeing
we have no family of our own, we were thrilled you, shall we say, adopted
us," he paused here, as many of the boys were giggling, because of the
similarity with their own situation. "Therefore, we have decided to donate
half of our estate to you now, and the other half will be left to you in
our will when we are gone. We love you all and this is just one way we
want to use to show you how much."
As Mr. Spence sat back down, you could have heard a pin drop in those two
rooms. We were totally shocked and left speechless by his announcement.
Although we didn't know exactly how much they were worth, they had hinted
previously that they had more money than most people could ever think of
using in a lifetime. We even suspected they might even be
multi-millionaires. After many awkward and silent moments, I thanked them
and explained that I didn't know what to say about this display of
generosity. After I thought about it for a minute or two longer, I
informed them that, if they didn't mind, I wanted to use some or most of
that money to establish a charitable fund to help other children and
families, especially families that wanted to adopt needy or hard-to-place
children.
After much discussion, the Spences agreed to my suggestion and it was
decided it would be called the "Castaway Foundation", which had been Aunt
Mary's suggestion. I immediately asked Sally to chair our new foundation
and requested that she also establish the criteria for what types of
assistance would be provided and at what levels. After giving it some
consideration and trying to determine how much time this would require, she
finally agreed and the boys all went over to give her a hug of thanks.
At that point, Steve volunteered his services as legal advisor to the
group, and the boys suggested that I should contact Matt (our former waiter
and future financial advisor) to assist us with investing the money wisely,
in the meantime. I offered to hire Sally and pay her more than she was
making now, if she was willing to run this for us, but she said she'd do it
for free and still work her regular job. She explained that way she would
keep her contacts and be able to find families on her own and while working
for the county. If she only ran the charity, she would soon become
isolated from many of the people in need. I told her she would be paid for
her services even if she kept her other job, and she finally gave in,
saying that would be fine, as long as she could donate it back to the
Castaway Fund and take the tax write-off. We all laughed at her
suggestion.
After we all thanked the Spences again, we began to eat. Unfortunately the
food was now a little cold, because that little surprise and ensuing
discussion took longer than I figured we'd be giving thanks. Some of us
decided to take our plates out and nuke the food in the microwave for a
minute or two, to get it warm again, but the boys didn't let it bother them
and just wolfed it down. Regardless of that minor inconvenience, everyone
appeared to enjoy the meal and complimented the boys on their hard work and
delicious dishes.
Once the meal had concluded, the women wouldn't take no for an answer and
shared the clean-up duties. They quickly put away the leftovers and did
the dishes, so it wasn't long before everything was taken care of. We
decided to hold off for an hour or so before we tried to tackle the
desserts, as everyone was quite stuffed from the main event.
While we waited in the living room, we talked about a variety of other
subjects, before the boys started coming in and asking the various adults
to join them for some fun. Soon they were leading the grown-ups off in
different directions, to join them for a board game, a computer game
(mostly solitaire or black-jack), or a game of cards (hearts, rummy or
double-solitaire). It was quite an enjoyable time, especially for the
Spences, and everyone had fun interacting with each other. After that we
had our desserts, before we collaborated on renting a couple of movies to
enjoy on the large-screen TV together. By the time things started to break
up, everyone was tired, yet fulfilled.
Friday started off with the boys fixing breakfast for everyone. They
conducted it more like a diner, taking orders from each individual as they
came down to eat, rather than fixing one large family breakfast. The boys
started off by making a large batch of pancake mix, figuring that a lot of
us would want pancakes because they always seem to hit the spot during the
cooler weather, but they also made eggs to order, regular and Canadian
bacon, toast, cereal, bagels, English muffins, and bagel or muffin
sandwiches, all upon request. Everyone got what they wanted, ate their
fill and my older children and houseguests were all pleasantly surprised,
not only by the boys' initiative, but also with the quality of the items
they had prepared. All in all, it went over well.
Later that afternoon, Steve called me to discuss some things we would need
to decide before establishing the Foundation. I felt some of the items he
brought up should be discussed in depth, so I talked the Spences into
staying for the entire following week, so they could be a part of setting
everything up, especially since it was their money that was funding it.
They were excited about being included in this process and I told them they
could stay in my room, (which they were already using) and I'd remain in
one of the other rooms. After some give and take on that point, they
finally agreed.
Friday evening the adults spent time together, while the boys entertained
themselves. Nick's parents had spent a great deal of time talking to
everyone and were almost speechless by the time they got to me.
"This is quite a family you have here, Josh," Mrs. Lawrence told me. "And
the Spences' announcement really was a blessing, wasn't it?"
"A blessing and a surprise," I responded. "Even though we don't really
need all of that money, I'm glad we'll be able to put it to good use and
help others. Isn't it strange how a chance meeting with them, on our way
to Arizona, has led to all of this?"
"No stranger than another chance meeting benefited our family,"
Mr. Lawrence mused. "I think your finding Nick was the best thing that
happened for our family too and I can't believe how much he's matured since
that time."
"He has come a long way," I agreed, "but I think it's ironic that he's been
looking for another family to help, like the one in Arizona, and now we
have all this money to do it with. He felt so good about helping the other
family that he wanted to do it again. He is a very caring and giving young
man."
"I'm not sure we would have ever seen that side of him," his mother
commented, "if it weren't for you and your boys."
"I'm sure it would have emerged eventually, but that side of him was
nothing we can be credited for. It's just that once he'd seen how much
good he could do, it was like a catalyst to make him want to do more. I'm
sure we'll find a way for him to be a part of the foundation, so he can
enjoy the good feelings that come as a result of helping others. I believe
he'll enjoy it more than any of the others."
"Josh, my hat's off to you," Nick's father said, "and I'm glad you talked
us into allowing him to come here to continue his education. I don't think
I've ever seen him get better grades, at least not since first or second
grade."
"Well, he did that on his own too," I confessed. "He came here a very
determined young man, intent on proving to you exactly what he could
accomplish."
"I'm not sure if that's good or bad," Mike Lawrence wondered aloud. "I
guess it's good that he's determined, but it saddens me to think that my
attitude toward him made him feel that he needed to prove himself to me. I
have always loved him, but I guess I just wasn't very good at showing it."
"He knows that now, but don't put all the blame on yourself," I suggested.
"From what he has told me, he was a bit hardheaded too, not wanting to see
your side either. Like I've said, I think it would have resolved itself in
time."
"Luckily," his mother added, "your intervention speeded up the process. We
owe you a great deal, so we're also going to contribute to your charity.
We're even going to encourage our friends and Mike's business associates to
do the same. It's the least we can do to repay you."
"That's very generous, but unnecessary," I offered. "I didn't do it to be
repaid."
"Think of it as though we're repaying other parents and children in need,"
she said, "hoping they'll be as lucky as we are."
"In that case, I gratefully accept your offer." After some more talking
and interaction with the kids, we all called it a night and went to our
rooms. I think it was the quietest I'd heard the house in ages.
Dion's birthday on Saturday turned out to be the largest of these types of
get-togethers we've held thus far. Not only was everyone from Thanksgiving
still here, but Jay joined us too, along with some of Dion's school
friends, who were also going to spend the night. Dion got a ton of gifts
and had a blast at his party. The boys played around outdoors for a large
part of the day, but did not play any team sports, since Dion wasn't overly
fond of them. Instead, they played tag, had some races and even had an egg
toss contest, which consisted of lobbing a raw egg between the various
partners until only one egg remained unbroken. The idea was to toss the
uncooked egg back and forth, with the distance increasing by one step
following each successful attempt, until all but one set of partners were
eliminated. It didn't matter whether it broke in one of the partners'
hands or on the ground, but once it happened that pair was finished. It
did get a bit messy before we crowned the winning pair, but the kids all
had a good time doing it.
Dion and his friends spent much of the evening in the family room, while
the other boys hung out in the living room. His brothers were all willing
to give Dion his privacy with his friends, although Dion had invited Trey,
Graham and Cole to join them.
On Sunday, my older children and grandchildren left first. Once they were
gone, Nick's parents said their good-byes and then drove back to the
airport in their rental car. Once they had also departed, I announced I
would be making the round-trip to take Carlos and his mom back to their
place. John and Margaret Spence volunteered to stay with the boys,
relishing their new role as grandparents, but they seemed quite bushed by
the time I got back. I guess they'd either forgotten or never knew how
energetic a group of boys could be.
Margaret also had dinner prepared while I was away, although she had agreed
to let a couple of the boys assist her, mostly to show her where I kept
things. It was a great meal and my sons all made sure they told her so.
She beamed like a new bride who had just received praise from her husband
after preparing her first full meal for him. Needless to say, the Spences
went to bed early that evening, while I sent the boys upstairs to shower
and get ready for bed.
Later that evening, Trey got Dion alone, so he could give him his belated
birthday gift. After they showered and went back to their room, he set his
plan into motion. "I'm sure glad we've got our room back," Trey announced.
"Sleeping with the others was okay, but I'm sure glad to be back in my own
bed," Dion agreed.
"And you'll be even happier after I give you your birthday present," Trey
announced, while shooting a wicked little grin toward Dion. It took Dion a
second to catch on to Trey's meaning, but then he started grinning
ear-to-ear.
"Tonight, you get to make love to me as a teenager," Trey told him, with
the cat-that-ate- the-canary smirk on his face. After allowing a second or
two for Dion to savor the thought, Trey walked over and kissed Dion
passionately, while ripping away the towel from around Dion's hips. He
eased Dion back to the bed, gently guided him on to it and then proceeded
to work on his body. Trey kissed Dion's neck, nibbled on his ears, and
worked his way down to Dion's nipples. He bathed those two delightful
circular patches of flesh with his tongue, nipped at the rigid little nubs
and then sucked on them like a starving kitten. Once he felt he had paid
sufficient attention to those sensitive areas, Trey worked his way lower,
running his tongue the length and breadth of Dion's firm abdomen, before
allowing his tongue to delve in and out of his navel. Now that he had Dion
squirming, Trey moved lower, but bypassed Dion penis, before aiming for
Dion's scrotum and inner thighs.
Dion was bouncing around on the mattress like a hyperactive super-ball, as
Trey played with his testes, lathed his sensitive inner thigh and the area
between the scrotum and the anus. Finally, Trey reached over to the
nightstand and grabbed a couple of items. He quickly ripped open a condom
packet and prepared to place it over Dion's bone.
"Do we really need to use that?" Dion wondered.
"Yes, we promised Dad that we would from now on, especially since you're
also fooling around a little with girls too," Trey advised him. "You know
he's right about that."
"But it's just the two of us and I haven't done that much with any of the
girls..." Dion's voice trailed off, showing how disappointed he was.
"But you have done some things and we also still mess around the others
from time to time, including some of the other guys with girlfriends," Trey
countered. "That's why we have to do this."
"What if we never do those things any more?" Dion asked, hopefully.
"We will, and you know it," Trey announced. "But if you are really willing
to give up on the idea of trying it with a girl and would promise to only
be with me, I'd say okay, but I don't think either of us believes that will
really happen. It's mainly because you like to do some of the other things
once in a while too, things I don't especially care for."
Dion knew what Trey meant by this. He had accepted that Trey liked
receiving better than giving and wasn't very fond of rimming Dion either.
That's why Dion gave in and Trey slid the rubber over his lengthy organ,
slicking it up with KY afterward. Once he had been prepared, Trey
straddled Dion's waist, reached back and grabbed Dion's teen shaft and
guided the head against his pucker. Slowly he sat back, feeling the ring
pop open and the helmet slide in, and then he waited momentarily before
adding more pressure and sliding down its entire length. Even though Dion
had just turned thirteen, he's had a bigger penis than most of the boys in
the house, and that had been the case almost since the day he moved in.
Now that he was fully engulfed by Trey's silky interior, Dion was in
absolute bliss. He not only loved the feeling of being in Trey's warm,
tight hole, but Trey had also developed very good muscle control and could
actually massage Dion's shaft even before he began his humping. Dion was
very appreciative of that skill and quite vocal about it. Needing no
further encouragement, Trey slowly lifted up and then slid back down Dion's
ample shaft, as he began to establish a nice, steady rhythm.
Dion was really moaning now. His eyes were only partially open and his
eyeballs rolled back into his head. He was totally oblivious to everything
in the room, but the tremendous pleasure emanating from his groin. Even
though his sausage was encased in the thin prophylactic membrane, it still
felt as if a thousand tiny fingers were stimulating his love muscle. It
was so overpowering that he could hardly bear the pleasure and soon felt
the rising tide of his orgasm.
As the tingling sensation continued to build in his testicles, he felt his
scrotum start to withdraw against his body and could sense the additional
blood flowing to his penis, causing it to swell even more. At that moment,
he felt the pressure building, as his seed began to be forced up his shaft.
He tried to hold it back and prolong the sensation, but that proved
impossible. Giving in to the inevitable, his semen exploded into the
rubber, threatening to blow the tip of the condom off.
Trey kept riding him, milking him for all he was worth, and only stopped
once Dion became so soft that it was impossible to continue. When that
happened he bent forward, kissed Dion lovingly and then leaned over even
further and off to the side, so he could whisper into his ear.
"Happy Birthday, lover," he gushed, but Dion didn't have enough strength
left to respond.
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